Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S1 Ep22: Episode 22: Terror in Outer Space

Episode Date: March 25, 2021

Tonight's show is proudly sponsored by Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience. Visit https://thewaroftheworldsimmersive.com/ and simply enter code CREEP at the checkout. First up tonight we have ‘Radio Silence’ by Ben C. Bartlett, read here under the conditions of the CC-BY-SA license: https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/Radio_Silence https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/User:Bencbartlett Our second tale of terror is ‘Reading One Life-Form’ Ryan Brennaman, again read here under the conditions of the CC-BY-SA license: https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/31 https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/31#October_26th-Reading_One_Life-Form Our third nightmare from beyond is ‘New Eden’ by LogsOnAndPosts, also read here under the conditions of the CC-BY-SA license https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/New_Eden https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/User:LogsOnAndPosts Our penultimate interstellar adventure is ‘Two_Possibilities’ by EmpyrealInvective, again read under the conditions of the CC-BY-SA license:  http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Two_Possibilities https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/User:EmpyrealInvective Today’s final story is ‘Last Night There Were Two Moons in the Sky’, an original work by Richard Saxon, kindly shared directly with me for the express purpose of having me exclusively narrate it here for you all. https://www.reddit.com/user/RichardSaxon

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please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's Dungeon. It was none other than Arthur C. Clark who once said, I'm sure the universe is full of intelligent life. It's just been too intelligent to come here. That may be a good thing, especially after you listen to tonight's five stories,

all centered on humanity's relationship with the cosmos at large. First up, we have Radio Silence by Ben C. Bartlett, then reading one life form by writing. Brennam. Our third story is New Eden by logs on and posts. That's followed by two possibilities by Imperial Invective, and we round off tonight's stories with, last night there were two moons in the sky by Richard Saxon. Now as ever before we begin, a word of caution. Night's stories may contain strong language, as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. If that sounds like your kind of thing? Then let's begin. 36,400,000. That's the expected number of

intelligent civilizations in our galaxy, according to Drake's famous equation. For the last 78 years, we've been broadcasting everything about us, our radio, our television, our history, our greatest discoveries to the rest of the galaxy. We've been shouting our existence at the top of our lungs to the rest of the universe, wondering if we were alone. Thirty-six million civilizations, in almost a century of listening, we hadn't heard a thing. We were alone. That was, until about five minutes ago. Our transmission came on every transcendental multiple of hydrogen's frequency that we were listening to. Transcendental harmonics, things like hydrogen's frequency times pie. I don't appear in nature, so I knew it had to be artificial. The signal pulsed on and off very quickly

with incredibly uniform amplitudes. My initial reaction was that this was some sort of binary transmission. I measured 1,679 pulses in the one minute that the transmission was active. After that, the silence resumed. Well, the numbers didn't make any sense at first. They just seemed to be a random jumble of noise. But the pulses were so perfectly uniform, and on a frequency that was always so silent, they had to come from an artificial source. I looked over the transmission again, and my heart skipped a beat. 1,679.

That was the exact length of the Erosheba message sent out 40 years ago. I excitedly started arranging the bits in the original 73 by 23 rectangle. I didn't get more than halfway through before my hopes were confirmed. This was the exact same message. The numbers in binary from 1 to 10, the atomic numbers of the elements that make up life, the formulas for our DNA nucleotides. Someone had been listening to us and wanted us to know they were there. And then it came to me.

This original message was transmitted only 40 years ago. Well, this means that life must be at most 20 light years away. A civilization within talking distance. This would revolutionize every field I'd ever worked in. Astrophysics, astrobiology, astro... Wait, the signal's beeping again. This time it's slow, deliberate even. It lasts just under five minutes,

with a new bit coming in once per second. though the computers are of course recording it i start writing them down zero one zero one zero one zero well i knew immediately that this wasn't the same message as before my mind raced through the possibilities of what this could be then the transmission ends having transmitted 248 bits surely this is too small for a meaningful message. What great message to another civilization can you possibly send with only 248 bits of information?

On computer the only files that small would be limited to, well, text. Was it possible? Were they really sending a message to us in our own language? Well, come to think of it, it's not that out of the question.

We've been transmitting pretty much every language on earth for the last 70 years. I began to decipher with the first encoding scheme I could think of. A-C-I-I-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-1-1-1-1-E. As I finished piecing together the message, my stomach sank like an anchor. The words before me answer everything. Be quiet.

Or they will hear you. Our next story this evening is reading One Life Fall. Captain Leander leaned on the helmsman's chair. Other hand rests comfortably on her hip. Eyes gazing out into the darkness of space. When she asked, So, what am I looking at? It sat there utterly still out there among the void.

idling like a perished fish, awkwardly tilted to one side, neutrally buoyant. It was larger than them, older. A derelict, Corbyn, the pilot told her. A hissing coursed over the comms.

How long have they been broadcasting that distress signal? She asked. Can I be certain, Corbyn answered, with a shrug, bringing them in close. We've been picking it up for at least twelve hours now. Up close the ship looked like a corpse. Its outside was blighted and bronzed, an oxidized hull in the void of space. It didn't fit. The broadcast is just a repeated SOS signal.

Corbyn explained as the captain moved closer to the forward window. I have no idea what it's about. How many life signs are you reading? she asked, resting her arm on the bulkhead. She could read the faint letters that sat across the forsaken ship's port side. The Cracken. Just what? Corbyn said, shaking his head. At least it's not a ghost ship. Captain Leander frowned. Might as well be. That looks only barely like an LV-42 freighter, small but it'll safely run with a crew of maybe 20 souls. Something's wrong. You're telling me, Corbyn said, preparing to circle the quiet ship missing what 19 people that doesn't make me feel terribly good about the one that's left what are we going to do she backed away from the bulkhead and placed a hand on corbin's shoulder

get the others up dock us to that ship find the survivor if um survivor's the appropriate term he corrected that's why we're waking the rest of the crew she said with a smirk need more eyes i get to stay here though right corbin asked only half joking just do it captain leander ordered and he did within minutes they were docked on one of the derelict's airlocks with the sharp serpentine hiss the lock opened and four crew members of the salvage ship eleanor stepped on to the darkness of the cracket The deck was, as expected, empty and dark. Lights in the metal corridors flickered dimly, sputtering, trying to stay lit. The captain ordered. All right, like we discussed, Tyron, you're with me.

We're going to make our way to the bridge, see if we can figure out what happened here. Freya and Rear, you girls are going to search the decks. The live pods from everywhere. There's one soul left on this boat, and good or possible. bad, we're going to get them off, understood. Rear knocked on her own helmet. Yeah, we got it. Can we take these off now? Says the air is clear. Mine's fogging up a storm.

I don't care, Captain Leander said. You good, Freya? Frea nodded, holding her rifle tight against her shoulder. Yep, she said, staring down the dark corridors. Doesn't mean I like it, though. Rear pulled her helmet off and took one awful breath gagging she wasted no time putting the bulky helmet back on her head Jesus she said panting

damn what was it asked the captain what's wrong Rear hunched herself hands on her knees audibly praying to not vomit in her helmet oh it stinks she said in pain breaths It smells like death in here, like the back of a slaughterhouse. Probably just Tyrone, Freya said, playfully. Captain Leander scanned the floor.

There was nothing there but rusted grates. Rusted, the captain thought, like the outside of the hall. Fuck off, Tyrone said, not playfully. This is serious. I don't know what could be causing the smell, Captain Leander. said, looking across all of them. But where there's rotting stink, there's usually something doing the rotting. Aye, Freya said, scanning the bulkhead with her flashlight.

You know, technically Rust is what happens when metal rots. Rust doesn't smell like flesh, Rear said nervously. Her face still frozen with disgust. The captain pointed down the corridor leading to the Crackens Bridge. "'Tyrone?' she said, taking command. "'We still have a job to do. "'Care to take the lead?' "'With pleasure, Captain,' the hulking man said,

"'bringing his gun to bear.' "'Captain Leander followed him, "'walking backwards so she could say to the others, "'Keep comms open. "'See anything? holler. "'Stay tight.' "'Working on it,' reacalled. "'Don't get lost.'

"'The captain stood shoulder to shoulder with Tyron. her own pistol wrapped firmly under her fingers. The greats groaned beneath their weight. The weight of the bridge blew up brightly on their HUDs. Corbyn, called Captain Leander. You there? Come in, Corbyn. A voice grew in her ear. Got you, Captain.

Been following all along. It's like I'm right there with you. But not, Tyrone said bitterly. Thanks for reminding me. Corby, Corby said with an audible smile. Good news, the ship's doing a little bit better now, reading five life signs, not just one. You guys must be doing something good in there. Very funny, Corbyn, the captain said, stone-faced.

Can you pinpoint the other life form for us? Still weird, Corbyn said, smacking his lips as he worked. I see you four. You guys are heading towards the bridge and rear and front. Frey are back approaching in the main staff quarters, I assume, but nothing. Just four red dots. Nothing else in the entire ship. Probably just a glitch, Tyron mumbled, eyes scanning all around them, checking every metal and wire crevasse. Probably, Corbyn said. But good luck anyways. You guys are about 20 yards from the bridge. It wasn't hard to find, the captain said. Pretty straight shot.

"'Focus on Ria and Freya. They have the hard job. "'All right. I'll leave you guys alone for a bit, then. Peace.' "'They were left in the narrow, silent hallway, with only each other and a peeling iron door. "'How is this ship rusting?' the captain asked Tyron. "'Ships can't rust.' "'I'm not sure,' Toron said, leaning in close to the wall. "'He scraped it with his finger. brushing pieces of metal onto the floor.

The ship's brittle, very brittle. I'm surprised we didn't damage it just by looking at it. There was a short, unstable flight of stairs that brought them to the bridge. The captain let Tyron take the lead, watching with careful eyes the path they'd just taken. There was a whistling in the pipes, like steam. The hall was still empty. Tyron had no issues getting the door to open.

its locks had rusted and were easy to break open little black and red and orange pieces crumbled like dirt scattering in the stagnant air the door creaked open and the two made their way inside five seconds later they were entirely confused where is everything

tyrant asked there's nothing here the bridge was empty there were no panels no computers no pilots jail and navigation navigation module. There wasn't even a forward hull window, just an empty black room. Corbin, Captain Leander called. You need to check the schematic she found. This can't beat. No, Tyrone interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder, leaning his head in as he whispered.

This is the bridge, all right. Make no mistakes, we are here. Then where is everything? She asked in response. You can't drive a ship out this far into space without a damn steering wheel. Perhaps it was stripped, Tyrone suggested. You make no mistake, the captain returned, showing him the perfectly grated floor. There was never anything here. If it was stripped, we could still see where panels and stations were plugged in, but we can't. There was never a bridge on this ship.

Just then, the voice of Freya came over the comms. Captain, she asked. We made it to the engine rooms and she hesitated. No, the captain thought, already making for the door. She knew exactly what they were going to say. I don't know how to say this, Captain, but there's nothing here. The captain was already moving down the stairs, hastily moving towards the engine room. She started to call Tyron, but he was at her side. the engine room has no engine it's just a shell freya the captain ordered now running down the corridor get back to the airlock now ma'am frayer asked confused corbin came across too asking captain what's going just go captain leander barked corbin keep your eyes on the damn radar she wasn't confused she wasn't confused she should

knew exactly what this meant. It was a hollow ship, inoperable, unfliable, dead with a distress beacon playing anyways. She didn't know who or why, but she understood a simple truth. The ship was a trap, and they'd taken the bait. Captain, Toron said, overtaking her slightly so he could run and meet her eyes. What's happening? Someone set us up, she huffed. I've heard of pirates using scuttled ships before to lure in salvages and rescuers. Easy to catch you when you're boarded to a lifeless hunk. But, Tyrone said, confused.

You said it yourself. This ship was never capable of flying, period. How did it get here? They must have towed it, the captain mumbled. It doesn't matter. We need... Oh, shit. They'd reach the airlock, but...

Freya and Rear were nowhere to be found. Captain called for them on the comms. Where are you guys? We're at the airlock. Hurry up. There was nothing but a palpable tension. The ear-splitting sound of raised, patient guns. Tyrone took a deep breath. Come in, the captain repeated, holding it together, holding strong, but still nothing came out of the dark hall. there was a faint buzz Captain Corbin the captain asked

hushedly What's happening I can't raise them either captain He said apologetically Do we have incoming She asked No Corbin said quickly

We're still all alone out here Why do you ask She couldn't help but feel some Harshal relief Because this ship is a trap Corbin She said steadily inching forward, and I wasn't sure if it will be sprung from the outside or the inside.

Tyrone and the captain worked their way through the ship's failing innards, attempting to hail rear and frayer the whole time. Damn it, cursed the captain as they entered the engine room. There was nothing there as they were told. Unfortunately, the persons who had told them were also missing. Captain, Corbyn said, returning to the Combs. His voice was weak. shaky the captain didn't like it corbin was never nervous without reason yes corbin she asked in a whisper i'm only getting three life signs now what she asked stunned check it again i have corbin snapped i've rechecked and rechecked i can't find them they're they're missing captain i don't i'll keep it looking, Tyrone said, moving back into the hall. Captain Leander didn't follow him right away. She stood, staring at the open, black room with hopeless eyes. It doesn't make any sense, she thought. One person shouldn't have been able to get the drop on Rea and Freya.

They couldn't. There was a violent clang that shook the air. Spinning around, the captain moved into the hallway, calling Taran's name. When she got there, she found only his gun, resting on the rusty grates. Tyrone, she called into the dark passageways. Swooping down, she picked up his rifle on the go and chased an unseen enemy down the hall. There's nothing there, Captain, Corbyn said, following her through the halls on his computer. You're the only one I register. You and whatever was there before. His words seemed to trail off as Captain Leander, refusing to accept that her crew, her friends were gone, continued to rush down the hall. Please, Captain, Corbyn begged.

Please, turn around. We don't know what's in there. But the captain didn't listen. She followed the twisting, narrowing hallways as far as she could. They led her straight to a large, open chamber, a cargo bay of sorts, an empty cargo bay. Whoever had taken Tyrone from her, whatever was strong. Tyrone was a huge man. No one could have done it alone.

Not like that. It was impossible. Spinning, she shone her flashlight to the corners of each and every wall, as she desperately searched for Freya, for Rear and for Tyron. Where are you? she called desperately. Then, after a moment of quiet panic, Static came over the radio. Static that, after just a moment, erupted into screams in the captain's ear. Captain! Corbyn screamed. Get out of there! I found the life form. I found it. It's the...

His voice cut off, as the entire ship seemed to groan and strain. Flakes of black, like ash, fell from the rafters above. They landed on the captain's exosuit, and she stayed. at them. It was uneasy how similar they were to scabs. Then she understood. She'd been right about the trap, but so wrong about everything else. There was a pressure around her ankle. Oh my God, she thought. The one life form. The ship. A metal, rotten hand gripped the captain's ankle, and in a swift moment the grates parted like jagged teeth. The hand pulled down and the living ship swallowed a hole. Outside, a creeping, rotting rust slowly spread across the airlock of the cracken

and seeped into the body of the Eleanor. And the distress signal continued to beat. Now, one thing a lot of you say to me when you get in touch is that you really love the way I read stories because I'm able to immerse you into the action. into the thoughts and feelings of the characters. And that's why I'm so happy to introduce to you tonight. Jeff Wains, the War of the Worlds, the Immersive Experience. Now, we've all been stuck inside for a hell of a long time now,

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Now here is the best part. Dr. Creepin listeners will get 10 pound off orders over 180 pounds and 5% off orders under 180 pounds with this podcast exclusive code. All you need to do is visit the War of the World's Immersive.com and enter the code creep at checkout. One more time, that's the war of the worldsimmersive.com and don't forget to enter the code creep at checkout for your discounts. Next up this evening, we have a story entitled, New Exhibit. Eden. What will he be like on Mars, Daddy? Kelly's father walked to her bedside up to turning on the nightlights. He sat down at the end of the bed. Oh, it'll be everything they say on TV,

everything and more. NASA's already made a year-long series of successful trips there, leaving behind men and supplies to get to work. It'll take a long time, which is why they want to get started as soon as possible. Do you know what they're working on, Kel? Yeah. Kelly piped up, her eyes glowing with both apprehension and wanderment in the semi-dark room. What are they building? A colony, she exclaimed. Mrs. Lash from school taught us all about it. Oh, really?

Her father leaned back, nonplussed. Yeah, Daddy, a colony is where a lot of people go to live somewhere else. She also told us that Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, and that it's red and really cold, but by the time the first people get there, the builders will have made it so we can live there. She drew a deep breath. Oh, that's very good, he responded, raising an eyebrow. I'll bet you're going to miss school pretty soon, huh?

Oh, I guess so. Depensively, she thought about all her schoolyard friends and neighborhood kids that she'd miss. It was likely that she'd never see them again. She spoke up quietly. Why can't the other kids come with us, Daddy? her father didn't answer why are we the only ones who can go she persisted

but we are the only people will be going you know he answered self-consciously he would need to choose his words with care daddy tell me why nobody from school can come with us she asked her father hoped against having to answer such a question tonight

and he cleared his throat Kelly, the folks at the eugenics board said we'd be necessary people for the future of humankind. Don't think that they didn't want them to go. Instead, think of it as our privilege to go. You should consider it a blessing. He smiled warmly, patting a heavy hand on her forehead. What about Mommy? She looked into his eyes, searching for a suitable answer.

And for a split second, his persona almost faltered, repressing. its heartfelt opinion for another time. I know this will take a bit of an adjustment, sweetie. He replied softly, looking away at a picture frame of their happy family. Mom understands how important this is to us. So does James. We're very lucky, you know. Mom and James would want us to go.

Please think of it that way. Why did this happen? She asked, the faint hint of disappointment in her voice. Well, it'd be too hard to explain to you tonight, he says. But a long time ago, before my father, before his father, and before his father's father, people learned how to build giant things out of the earth's resources. They were wonderful things that helped us live the way we do today. But over time, these resources started to run out.

Oh, like when in school, when we learned how we have to take care of the garden unless she don't get to use it anymore. Kelly piped up. She was such a bright child. Yeah, that's right, her father continued. Well, over time, we adults didn't learn such a valuable lesson, so now we have to start fresh. They call it New Eden, Kelly. It'll be such a beautiful place.

You'll make lots of new friends, and you'll grow up into a fine adult. And if they ask her out earth, if they ask, what was earth like? Do you know how you'd answer? Sure, Daddy, she replied tenderly. It was a beautiful place. Sincerity effused from that statement. It sure was, Kelly. Her father replied, betraying a shaking voice that Kelly may or may not have noticed.

Please, get some sleep for tomorrow. It'll be a busy day. Good night, Daddy. Good night, honey. Our penultimate tale of terror for this evening is two possibilities. I knew the dangers of it all. Well, they even talked about orthostatic intolerance and the constant need for cardiovascular workouts to prevent the loss of consciousness while in space, but they never discussed the supreme

sense of isolation that we would be experiencing. They told us about the millions of things that could go wrong on our maiden voyage, but they of course missed the problems that did occur. It was problems such as these that left everyone except for me. dead and resulted in our ship being set adrift in the cold vacuum of space. They never told us about the chance that cryopreservation would malfunction and freeze most of our crew to death. They failed to mention the effect that space travel would have on bacteria, making it super-powered. They glossed over the possibility that the navigational system for the ship

could lead us off course millions and millions of light years. So, I've given you all an overview of what left me, the lone survivor on a ghost ship. But I feel I should go a little more in depth. My friends and family said I was always more focused on multitasking, so I guess it makes sense. I'm recording one final report and my last words simultaneously. after all. I'll start at the beginning. I was brought along on this space excursion to study the environment and atmosphere of any planets we might come across. I think the higher-ups must have had some other home-world fantasies rattling around in their heads. They named our ship the exogenesis

for crying out loud. I woke up from cryostasis about a week ago. I went about the procedures we'd learned in the academy grogily i first made sure i'd been woken up at the appointed time i shakily got out of the invasion of the body snatches-style pod and stretched it was a few minutes into calisthenics that i realized that no one else was out with me a cursory glance around the room revealed that all the pods were sealed shut and frosted over My heart began to beat faster in my chest. They shouldn't have been opaque like that. I frantically opened up the nearest pod

and came face to face with the frozen death mask of McCready. The cryopods must have malfunctioned in some way. Freezing and then rapidly thawing had completely leased all the cells in his body. He was dead. The machine had most likely lost power for a brief moment and caused itself to completely rupture upon such a rapid change in temperatures. The other pods were in a similar state. Each had been subjected to a rapid decrease in temperature that resulted in complete cell leases.

The entire crew was dead except for me. How was I still alive? The cryo-preservation system was linked to. each part. It was then that I noticed. There were six. Kelvin, the psychologist.

McCreedy, the navigator. Adams, the captain. Ripley, the warrant officer. Me, the environmental scientist, and Hall. The cryopod for Cheryl Hall was open.

Cheryl Hall had escape the fate that befell the others. I shambled out of the cryostasis room, still not fully in control of my faculties, and down an empty corridor. I went towards the flight deck, praying I could find some answers to the questions that were piling up. Unfortunately, it was empty. I looked over the navigational log and found another question. Why were we six months off course? Whatever had prompted me to agree to this two-year expedition quickly evaporated. Most of the crew was dead. We were millions, if not billions, of miles away from assistance.

And I'd never felt so alone in my life. I wanted to reset the course or maybe turn this ship around and return back to TerraFerma. the more I studied the controls, the more confused I became. Everything on the control panel was a series of switches, levers and blinking lights. In other words, it was literally rocket science. I was worried that pressing random buttons would completely screw us over. The only thing I managed to discern from my investigation was that the course had been manually changed. Was there someone else on the ship besides Cheryl and me?

My only hope lay in finding Cheryl and working out this madness together. I moved towards the laboratory on my way to the mess hall. Cheryl had to either be here in the lab, in the mess hall, or not in the ship at all. I shuddered to think of her being gone via the airlock. I was truly terrified that I would be the only survival. on this ship, doomed to spend the rest of my life drifting aimlessly through space.

I kept one hand on the railing to prevent falling face down on the metal grating that composed the hallways. I arrived in the small laboratory to find it a complete disarray. Someone had taken a lab stool and swung in around the lab in a blind, all-consuming rage. The autoclave, airhood for handling chemicals and the centrifuge had been broken to bits the shelf that held the series of bacterial samples that we brought

along to study their growth in space had been tipped over and each culture individually smashed underfoot dried rust-colored droplets of blood seemed to be flicked across the room as if the perpetrator had injured

themselves slightly in the rampage What the hell had happened here? I shuffled through the ruins of the laboratory to the mess hall itself. I was slowly regaining control of my appendages and mental faculties. The mess hall was the largest part of the ship. It was broken into three parts, one section for food storage with enough supplies for a two-year voyage. Another part was a dining hall,

and the final was a garden with bed soil that went three feet deep to allow for renewable foodstuffs upon entering the dining hall I was hit with the smell of decay and decomposition my worst fear was realized when I saw her what remained of Cheryl Hall was in a booth with her head resting on the table a glass had tipped over but the liquid had completely evaporated or been absorbed by her now bloated, festering face. Her stomach was chumessent from the built-up gases

and her body had already begun to putrefine. If I had to weather a guess, I would estimate that she died a few weeks ago. The smell was completely atrocious. There was a mix of rot and shit. that insinuated itself around the booth that was her tomb. There was a small, hand-held camera facing her on the table. As I looked at what remained of Cheryl, the memories flooded back to me.

I remembered working with her in zero-gravity training. I kept glancing sideways at her. I recalled joking with her about the bureaucracy that held up the space voyage for so long sent warmth throughout my call. Most of all, I remembered our last celebration before our maiden voyage. I remembered getting her alone in an adjacent hallway and pressing her up against a wall

and nearly smothering her with kisses. I told her that I'd wanted to do that the moment I'd laid eyes on her. I remember pulling back from that passionate embrace and the look in her eyes. There was a hint of dreaminess, but also of uncertainty. My eyes flooded with tears, and deep groans racked my body. She was gone.

Really gone. I could remember memories of her all I wanted, that that wouldn't change the fact that she was lying before me now. She was lying face down on the booth and rotting away to a skeleton. I crumpled to my knees and pressed my forehead to the grating as the sadness and despair enveloped like a shell. I wasn't sure how long I remained in that position before I was able to regain some modicum of composure.

I managed to rise, shakily, to my feet. I avoided looking at her corpse. I would lose it all over again if I did. I'm not proud of what I did next, but spending all that time in stasis with no nutrition, except intravenous nutrients, had left me starve. I needed something solid to eat. I left the body and moved to the pantry. I surveyed the sparse supply of food that we had left.

There should have been enough food here to sustain us all throughout the ship, but a large quantity wasn't on the shelves anymore. How long had Hall been awake and alone on the ship? I gathered all the food that was there and did a quick inventory. There was enough food to last me a few months. Hall wasn't a big drinker. They sent us out with a few bottles of wine to use for cooking and a bottle of champagne to celebrate a safe arrival.

The champagne was almost empty and there were five bottles of wine from the original seven. I ate some nutrient paste on crackers while thinking of my next move. I decided I would bury Cheryl Hall. There was ground in the garden, and the longer she was left out, the greater the chance of me getting sick off of the bacteria that was growing on a festering corpse. She deserved the decency of a funeral.

I proceeded to the garden. The soil was only a few metres deep, but it would serve as a decent burial. spot. The problem wasn't in the location, but in the tools themselves. There were a few tools essential for gardening, but no shovel. I had to resort to using a trowel. She deserved a decent burial. She deserved the hard work, their back-breaking labour, the love. A few back-breaking hours spent hunched over the land, feverishly pouring the earth. with a six-inch trowl and I was finished. I got out of the hole and stretched.

Now was the time for the actual burial. I had to move the body from the dining hall to the grave. This was the moment I feared the most. I approached the body cautiously. When I was younger, I loved to watch those old zombie movies. and I guess some instinctual part of me was wary. I didn't think she would lunge out at me from the booth and try to sink her teeth into me, but that logical and factual portion of my psyche wasn't able to completely disassociate myself from the idea.

I'm not proud to admit it, but I spent a few minutes standing over the corpse, paralyzed to inaction by my fear. I eventually managed to gather her up in mind. my arms. I cradled her body to my chest. I desperately tried to keep my eyes forward and not meet her decomposed visage or smell her rotting corpse. Only once did my gaze meet her swollen, rotted face, and that was all I needed to see. I gagged and tore my eyes away from her body. Her form smelled sickly saccharine, and I tried to focus on anything other than retching. I carefully moved towards the open grave.

Now, I'm not the strongest of people. I managed to get her to the grave, but by the time I'd made it, I was panting and sweating heavily. I tried to set her in the grave as softly as I could, but my arm, had grown weak from carrying her so far. My arms gave way as I lowered her, and I dropped her into the grave. Her tumescent stomach ruptured, and the odour hid me in a wave. It felt like something had actually punched me in the sinus. That's how bad the stench was.

I couldn't help it. I threw myself back and heaved the paste and crackers onto the earth next to me. I like to say I have a steel stomach. but there are some things in this world that can offend even my sensibilities. I wiped my mouth clean and set about burying my friend. An hour later, I was finished. There wasn't much to tell her. I cried over the disturbed earth and wept.

There wasn't much else I could think of to say. We'd worked together for the year before the initiation of our expedition, and other than that kiss we shared during our celebration, I hadn't known her outside of work. I wish I had. I'd hoped this voyage would have given us plenty of time to connect and build a relationship. I said a quick prayer

and left the grave before emotions could overtake me and paralyze me again. Now my focus was on the tape she had left. I was lightheaded from the strenuous activity, but I managed to make it to the booth and pick up the camcorder. I went into the storeroom and fixed myself some more food to refill my recently voided stomach.

I debated whether or not to play the tape. It felt like I was invading her last moments and words, but I decided that her last recording might hold some answers or clues to what had happened. I sat down with some crackers and meat paste, and turned on the last recorded message. From the time of start to the end of the recording, I didn't touch my food.

The recording opened with her face. She was looking at the camera, and she looked haggard, with bags under her eyes and a vacant stare. It was almost as if I was looking into the face of a completely different person. She always had a bubbly and vivacious. persona. But this Cheryl looked melancholic and dead to the world. She said, I'm dying. It doesn't take a doctor to see that. I can't hold food down and I feel like I'm shitting out my soul. Dehydration is probably getting to me. If not that, then starvation. It started a while

ago, but I know I only have a couple of days, tops, before I kick the bucket. It all started when I woke up early from cryostasis due to some horrible malfunction, months ahead of our destination. She continued. I tried to reprogram my chamber, go back to sleep, but it was futile. I spent so much time lying in the pod and fiddling with the controls. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to learn anything. I was so alone. I tried to turn the ship around, but I think I sent us off course and further from our home. I just wanted to go back.

She broke into tears, which lasted a few minutes. Then she croaked. Instead, I shanghied us impossibly far from home. She managed to regain her composure before continuing. This is all. So fucked up. After a few weeks of solitude, I tried to wake someone up. I couldn't stand to be alone anymore.

The silence was so oppressive. I didn't. I didn't know what I was doing. I thought just shutting off the machines would wake them. She winced and clutched at her stomach for a few seconds before continuing. I just wanted someone else to talk to. I didn't mean for him to die. Oh, God, Macriety, I'm so sorry.

The realization hit me like a wave. McCreedy was dead because she tried to wake him up from cryostasis. Ripley and Kelvin too. She killed them. She continued. I came across this camp quarter for recording our voyage. It's ironic I'm using it to record my last message. Is that irony?

Or coincidence. Shit, I don't know anymore. I can't think straight. My thoughts are getting fuzzy. I think I must have caught something when I smashed up the lab. I just lost it. The situation became too much for me to handle. I had to lash out.

I think there was something in those conscious. She grasped her stomach, and ran off scream. Hall came back a few minutes later. She spoke slowly. One thing they don't tell you in training, diarrhea is not fun in space. I'm feeling weak.

I've had this for a few days now. I can barely think. She took a long drink from a glass of water on the table before proceeding onward. We just kept drifting. Further and further, each day bringing us further out of range from home. It was a kindness, not having to wake up and be exposed to this, this fear, this hopelessness, this sickness. She looked directly into the camera and said,

It was the only kindness I had left to give. Hall rested her head on the table before she continued her dazed message. I couldn't kill her. I couldn't bear the thought. I stood over her body for hours. My fingers on the console. I didn't want to think of what happened to the others happening to her. God, help me.

I left her alive. I want to think there might still be hope of rescue. But the rational part of me knows that this is just the delirium talking. I'm too exhausted to move now. I just wanted to tell you. Thanks for the kiss. Cheryl Hall reached for the glass, but it slipped out of her hand and spilled on the table

and washed over her face. She laid there, breathing raggedly and sending small ripples playing across the spilled water with every strained breath. I watched for a few minutes before fast-forwarding the tape. I fast-forwarded until I realized that she wasn't moving anymore. An hour elapsed on fast forward,

and she didn't make the faintest of movements. The camera shut itself off after a certain period of inactivity. She was dead. Whatever Cheryl had contracted from smashing up the lab had killed her. A few days passed by, and I tried my best to figure out the ship's navigational system.

I wasn't suited for the task. There was no point in randomly pressing buttons, and I couldn't find any manuals or guides to the controls. The exogenesis seemed damned to spend eternity drifting through space without destination. On the fourth day, I started to feel nauseous. I told myself that it was just my imagination. I couldn't have contracted the sickness from the destroyed laboratory. Too much time had passed for the cultures to survive.

Could my contact with Cheryl Hall have infected me? On the fifth day, I was sure I was sick. I was sprinting to the toilet every 30 minutes. I tried desperately to keep my food in my stomach, but the very thought of filling my stomach left it feeling royaled. I had to have some form of salmonella. I remember when I'd contracted the illness as a kid. The symptoms I had then mirror the symptoms I'm now experiencing.

Diarrhea, stomach pain and nausea. I couldn't replenish my fluids fast enough. I started to suffer the effects of dehydration. The average person can survive without water for three to five days. I knew my time was running out. On the sixth day, I walked a hall's grave in the garden and I spat on it. Ambivalence raged inside me. This was the goddess that I'd fallen over all throughout training.

This was also the bitch that infected me and killed the crew. It had to be in her digestive system. When she fell into the grave and split open like a ripe watermelon, I must have been infected. I left the grave knowing that there was nothing else I could do. There was really nothing left to do. I spent my seventh day in a frenzy, trying to keep my fluid intake up and pretend everything was going to be all right. It's not. I am dying.

This is my final message to my friends and family. I doubt this will ever reach you, but I have a lot left to say that I don't want to go unsaid. There is nothing left here. I'm getting sicker and sicker. There's no medication for what I have. This is the only choice left. I'm not going to die like Cheryl.

lying face down on a table in my own filth as I succumb to dehydration. I'm going to expedite the process. This is why I have a rivet gun with me. I don't have many other options here. I think I'm going to press it to the roof of my mouth and pull the trigger. See if that'll work. The rarits are only three or four inches long.

I'm using this tape recorder so you don't have to see what I'm about to do. I also cracked open a bottle of Merlo. I doubt it's going to do any more damage than the sickness already has. I just need a bit of the old liquid courage to get the rivet gun into my mouth. I don't think the NASA eggheads who engineered the pneumatic hammer had thought of it as a means of suicide. It was probably to be used to repair the hull of the exogenous should there be any damage. The wine is all right.

It tastes bitter. I think I'll have another bottle. To my family, sorry if this sounds a little slurry. Dehydration is taking its toll and the wine sure isn't helping. I wish I could hear all of your voices, one last time. Space can be quiet. I hope you all remember the good times. Please, don't remember me like this, crying into a tape recorder so far away with a rivet gun in between my legs. The second bottle tastes a little better. Can't say I have the energy for a third.

Clark said something about space Whether it was more terrifying to know that we are not alone Or completely alone Well I have my answer I'm out of wine And it's time now to round off tonight's stories of interplanetary terror With the last night there were two moons in the sky

Who ever looked up at the moon at night and dreamed of a better life maybe wish for love or simply looked for inspiration it's amazing isn't it such a magnificent celestial body just hanging in the sky one we've lived with since the beginning of time your parents grandparents and forefathers have all been mesmerized by the beauty in the sky they've all seen the same moon I used to love that sight

but now I feel terrified each night as it rises fearing that I might once again see two moons. It was a strange set of events that finally landed me in the middle of nowhere, also known as Swalbard, a small Norwegian island as close to the North Pole as people are willing to live, inhabited by just under 3,000 people, all with an astonishing ability to speak English. Without Luke, I probably wouldn't have ended up anywhere nearly as exotic,

but as my best friend, he'd pulled me, into the field of biology after I'd spent years not knowing what to do with my life. Together with him and Samantha, another bright student with a passion for both nature and all fields of science, ranging from biology to astrology, we ventured into the unknown, with a foolish dream of acquiring the ever-so-elusive doctrine degree. Our new home would be Long Yeartown, a perfect name for a city in the middle of the Arctic, where everything moved at a snail's pace. Polar bears, northern lights,

endless winter nights and everlasting summer days. Had I not known better, I wouldn't have believed I was still on earth. We first arrived in the beginning of August, greeted by our guide and teacher, Walter, a man who looked more like a bear than a human being, a massive, bearded Viking, probably born in the snow,

holding a battle axe. Yes, he would ensure our safety and assist us in studying the wildlife. It was a beautiful sight, I have to admit. Despite being at the end of summer, the weather was harsh, barely rising above 40 degrees, even though the sun was up for the entirety of the day.

Nevertheless, there was something magical about the landscape. The midnight sun shone bright. The perfect yellow sky to keep us company the entire night, as we celebrated the start of our new adventures. During the first couple of weeks, water was very incessant about us taking a proper safety course while living there. Though rifles were prohibited in any settlement on the island,

they were strongly recommended during research, due to the dangers of polar bears being curious. As cuddly as they might seem, when you've observed them tear apart prey, completely covering their white fur in the crimson stains of blood, you all understand not to mess with them. September quickly rolled around, and the midnight sun had long since disappeared.

Days grew shorter and nights longer. But we enjoyed every moment together. It had become apparent that Luke had a crush on Samantha, and though I would never reveal that secret, it seemed odd to me that she hadn't noticed. Luke had always been quite shy, even though he had an overabundance of attention from the other sex, being a sportsman and ridiculously attractive and all, but some darkness from his past had kept him from growing a proper confident facade.

At the half-year mark of our stay, we'd already gathered a substantial amount of data for our research. Without going into too much detail, it included observing the walrus haulout behaviour, meaning when they leave the water and what they do on land. It's not too exciting for most people, I'm sure, but we truly loved our work. It was the end of January, which meant the sun never showed itself, even during the day. Constant darkness surrounded us during that period,

but at least we'd have times of bright moonlight and nautical twilight, which seemed like any late sunset. It kept us from getting the winter blues. By then I'd confronted Luke about his feelings for Samantha. They were both my closest friends, and though I wouldn't mind them getting together, I wanted to make sure nothing dramatic and childish would happen. Of course, he denied it, shy as he was, but Samantha had started hinting at similar feelings for him.

Had just one of them spoken up, rather than being stubborn kids, they could have been happy together. But what else could I do other than to poke at their emotions, until one of them burst. During the night, we'd driven one of the cars down to the beach. Though I'd always considered a beach, just a warm bunch of sand by the seaside, it was equally beautiful. Water often accompanied us on our little drunken trips, having become more of a friend than a teacher, but he insisted that even though we'd driven down there, we would walk back

to our houses rather than drunk driving. He said this, even though the point of the poor. population was so sparse that hitting anything was almost impossible. Back at the house, we played cards and drank home-brewed Norwegian vodka. Illegal, disgusting, but cheap, and it got the job done. Water was probably the biggest man I'd ever laid eyes upon, but he honestly had the bladder of a very small child. There's something about sub-zero temperatures that really makes you need to pee every 30 minutes.

But since the bathroom was occupied, he'd ventured outside to release. leave himself. Moments later, we heard him gasp. Hey, come and have a look at this. Walter called from outside. Not wanting to leave the comfort of my chair, I took a large sip of my drink and yelled back at him. It's cold as hell.

I'm not coming outside to look at your dick. The others chuckled, more from the alcohol than my stupid statement. No. Seriously. there's something wrong with the sky Walter said All right Coming

I said as I pushed myself up from the chair My legs barely wanting to move After an entire day of exploration The four of us went outside To find Walter frozen in place Just staring up at the sky I glanced up And immediately shared his confusion

There were two moons We all gasped synchronously As we tried to make sense of the bizarre phenomenon in the night sky What the hell? Luke said It's got to be an optical illusion, right? For a second I let myself believe that that was the explanation But the second moon, though equal in size and shape Had a completely different surface

It was plainer, with fewer craters and a whiter tone than our own "'No way. They're too far away from each other. "'They don't even look alike,' they said. "'So what's your explanation, then?' Luke asked. "'Samantha, who'd been an astrology officinado "'since she was old enough to pronounce rocket, "'had remained oddly silent since we got outside. "'The second moon is identical to our own,' she's simply stated.

"'What? It's clearly not. "'What?' Luke asked, confused. "'No, it really is. "'It's just that we're looking at it from the back. "'It's like our moon has been rotated almost 180 degrees. "'Just look at the edge.' "'I tried to see what she meant, "'and sure enough, the edge of the second moon

"'had landmarks I could recognise on our own. "'What?' "'So the moon split in half or something?' "'I asked. "'Don't be ridiculous. "'Walter interjected. "'That's weird, but it's kind of cool, isn't it?' "'said Lucas.

"' Cool or terrifying. "'I don't know,' Samantha said. "'We decided that we could get a better view "'from halfway up Plateau Mountain next to Longyear Town. "'So we rushed, Walter bringing his camera, "'to get any kind of proof that we hadn't all "'just collectively gotten poisoned from the alcohol "'that we weren't just hallucinating.

As we climbed up, we started hearing a strange noise in the distance. Just vaguely at first, like an electrical humming from a generator. This'll do, won't it? I asked, as we were about one-third up the mountain. I wasn't in the best shape of my life. In climbing up a 1300-foot mountain wouldn't be my choice for a good time. We look back at the sky. Sure enough, the two moons linger.

both full and ever so bright. The four of us just stared in silence for what felt like in eternity, the humming turning to a buzz as we waited. Do you guys hear that? Walter finally said. The buzzing sound got louder and started to localise itself to the village. We glanced down at our neighbourhood

and realised all the houses had moved around, jumbled up and unrecognizable. Colours were changed. Streets turned directly into buildings, and shops had simply vanished. We rushed back down the mountain, but stopped before entering the village. New houses had appeared,

extending the settlement to twice its normal size. Even Walter, who'd lived there most of his life, couldn't find his way anymore. My house was supposed to be. be right there, he said, as he pointed to an empty piece of land a couple of hundred feet down the hill. A light appeared where Walter was pointing. Undefinable at first, but it quickly took shape as Walter's home. It looked like static on an old television, but it was clearly a house. As it took shape, we could hear a faint screaming coming from inside.

Shit, my wife is in there, Walter said, as he started. As he started. As he stood. As he stood, he said, as he started running towards the house, we took chase after him. The closer we got to the obscured version of his home, the more uneasy I felt about entering it. A pit foamed in my stomach, and following my instincts, I attempted to stop Walter. Being twice my size, he simply pushed me away and kept running. Walter, wait!

I screamed at him, just as he passed the barrier from us to the entrance to the house. He only got halfway in before the house vanished before our eyes, taking just part of Walter with it. He had been split down the middle, and the little part that remained of him simply fell to the ground in a pile of blood and viscera. Oh my God! No! No! No! Samantha cried as she stared at Walter's mangled corpse.

His face and chest had been stripped away alongside his arm. Everything that had made it past the barrier simply cut away. We couldn't even process what had just happened before we were all blinded by a flash of light. A completely new village appeared in front of us. The old one mostly stripped away from reality. Just within the reach of this new village, we could hear panicked yells from the people within. Screams of fear and agony vibrated through the air. We realized that this new village had appeared inside parts of our own.

House is merging in ways not possible. People stuck inside walls or cut in half by the vanishing buildings. We saw one man cut in two at the waist, crawling for help. His entrails pouring out as he desperately tried to keep moving, not even realizing half his body had been taken away from him. People came running away from the village, some missing legs One woman seemingly fused

With a different version of herself Joined at the head Like a pair of conjoined twins As the people neared us We could see the true devastation Of what had happened inside the village Houses disappeared And reappeared in new locations

Anyone unlucky enough to be in the same place Was shred to pieces One older woman was looking back at the village As she ran away And ended up colliding with me head on. I quickly bent down to help her up, and she rambled on about something. Only I couldn't understand what language she was speaking. It wasn't English, Norwegian, nor Russian. In fact, it didn't resemble anything I'd ever heard before. Some man was waving furiously at us as he passed,

and even though we couldn't understand the language, we got the point. We've got to get out of here, I said. But what, Walter? We can't leave him here. He's dead, Samantha. Come on. Luke and I grabbed her and pulled her with us. We were all in shock,

with just enough basic survival instincts to flee. We ran away as fast as our legs could carry us, where I couldn't resist the urge to look back upon the nightmare we were trying to escape. One moment, our village was there, and the next a completely new configuration of houses and streets.

They appeared together, merged into each other, and collapsed in a mesh of wood and concrete. The people fleeing the village seemed to have an idea where to go, so we attempted to follow them, but in another flash they were simply deleted from existence. Oh my God, they said. Where did they go? Samantha asked.

I couldn't answer that. None of us could. Things had gone downhill so fast we hadn't had half a second to wrap our minds around it. We stopped. I was starting to feel just how out of shape I was.

There were no more screams coming from the village and it seemed to have mostly settled down into an undefinable mixture of houses and corpses. Do you think it's over? Luke asked. I don't know, but there are still two moons in the sky, I said.

We should call someone. I left my phone at the house. Me too. Despite the chaos, everything felt pretty calm after the people had vanished. We'd reached higher ground, giving us a decent view over the area. The village was still morphing at its own volition, but I couldn't see any signs of life. I guess whoever failed to escape must have been dead by then.

What are we going to do? Samantha asked. The car. We parked it at the beach, Luke said. So what? We're on an island. Where are we going to drive? The walkie-talkie will be there, and it'll be enough to keep us warm if it doesn't disappear like everything else. So, basically we're going to be. we just avoid the inevitable? Do you have a better idea? While the two of them argued about what to do next, I kept watching the horizon. The way it lit so much brighter in the moonlight than usual was remarkably beautiful, establishing a certain calmness in this horrific landscape. Then something

broke the purity of the horizon, a creature walking across it, only showing as a silhouette. first one, then two. And before I could even alert the others, there were at least three dozen large beings walking in the distance. Um, guys, I said. They kept arguing. Guys, look. The two of them shut up long enough to notice that I was pointing at the creatures.

Shit, there's polar bears, Luke asked. I don't think so They're way too big I responded God Now we really do have to head for the car The rifles are still in there Without any better idea

We started heading for the beach Midnight had come and gone And the temperature had dropped even further below zero Considering the weather The clothes we had were far from sufficient It was a short trek through the snow But sure enough the car was still there, faithfully awaiting our arrival.

Fuck for that. Samantha exclaimed in joy. We all rushed over, Samantha excitedly wrapping herself in a thicker jacket that she'd left in the car. Here, grab a rifle, Luke said, as he handed me one of the two. I'm not the best shot, I said nervously. It doesn't matter. It's just supposed to be loud enough to scare the bears. a bit.

I don't think they're normal bears, man. Well, whatever the fuck they are, they're not going to like guns. He said it with a strange hint of confidence that didn't normally come from him. Samantha grabbed the walkie from the glove compartment. Hello? she said. You've got to end it with over, Sam.

I said jokingly, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere. The radio responded with static. Hello. Is there anyone there? Nothing. I'll keep trying different channels. Where are we heading next? Well, the car's dead, so we're walking. But the airport is only a couple of miles away, so I suggest we head there, Luke said.

Without disagreeing, we all started. walking. I kept my eye on the horizon, seeing more silhouettes gathering. A few were venturing into the broken village, but they were still too far away, and I couldn't fathom what the hell they were. Guys, I need a break, I said after about half an hour of walking. My leg had been aching since the woman collided with me, but the cold had numbed down the pain so far. It is kind of beautiful, isn't said. Samantha said. She stood on the side of the road, staring at the sky. I had noticed it before, almost mesmerizing to see a new celestial body floating above in our sky. That had remained unchanged, as far back in history as anyone could remember. We were the first to see the new moon. But if the

rest of the world was experiencing the same freakish chaos as ourselves, then I feared it would also be the last. After a mile we could see the top of the air traffic control tower. No sooner had we noticed it that the whole structure collapsed to the ground, releasing an impossibly bright, green light as it did.

What was... Before we could react, a loud roar fell over us. One of the creatures emerged from the darkness and stood tall right in front of us. It had the exact shape of a polar bear, only larger without any skin covering its body. All we could see was muscle and vessels pulsating across its entire being, skin from head to toe. The face was the most horrific part of it. No eyes or ears, only a flesh-filled, mangled piece of meat,

with teeth sticking through in all directions. despite having no vision, it could somehow sense our whereabouts. Look directly at us for a second, before charging. We started running. A creature was fast, but the vibrant green light seemed to bother it enough to allow us a head start, though it didn't take long before it braved the brightness and took chase after us. Once we gained enough of a distance, I turned to fire at it. to my surprise the shot hit it square in its face but it barely phased it Luke turned to do the same

but as he fired his foot caught onto something and he fell to the ground oh shit he yelled we ran over to pull him off the ground and he fired a second shot at the creature he hit it in the leg causing it to stumble for a moment it was just enough for us to get Luke back on his feet but he was slower from the fall I think I messed on my ankle, Luke said. I took his arm over my shoulder. The creature was gaining speed again. I'm not going to make it like this.

Just go, he said. You're not going to die because of a twisted ankle, you moron. Samantha insisted as she held his other arm. For each second, the creature got closer to us. Even without Luke hanging on to us, we wouldn't be fast enough to get away anyway. The creature reached us. and knocked us all simultaneously to the ground. He reached out its deformed paw and hit Luke's shoulder.

He led out a horrified scream as the claws tore through his skin. Blood immediately started dripping from the wound. All of a sudden, the creature stopped, and a large howl could be heard from the distance. It was distorted and rough, unlike anything I'd ever heard. I could only describe it as vaguely organic, as if some massive animal was screaming out in intense agony. Without hesitating, the creature started running in the direction of the howl, once again

leaving us alone in the darkness. I collapsed on the ground under Luke's weight. He'd always been far larger than myself, a typical gym rat always bugging me to join him. Damn, you're heavy, Luke. What was that thing? He asked out of breath. None of us knew. How could we? Everything had fallen part, and I was starting to believe we were in a different world altogether. The green light on the horizon still shone bright, acting as an excellent beacon, taking us where we had to go.

Luke was quick to get back on his feet. He tried to act strong, but we could both tell he was in a great deal of pain. After a long struggle, we finally reached what remained of the airport. It wasn't an impressive sight, only one runway and a couple of planes next to the few centralised buildings. It was desolate, not another living soul seemed to have made it there. Unlike the village, the airport still looked familiar, though the tower had fallen to pieces, replaced by the blinding green light that had guided us, a strange beacon of hope in the destruction. It simply hung in the air, expectantly, waiting for something to happen. Luke collapsed to the ground as we set foot inside the main building.

I don't feel right, was all he could say. It's all right, Luke. We're going to be safe here. We dragged him over to one of the office buildings that were connected to the hangar. Luke was sweating bullets. Samantha put a hand to his forehead and checked his temperature. Luke, you're burning up. Yeah, I think something's wrong. He responded with slurred words.

I'm going to go and check the building for any supplies. I'll be right back, I said. Sam, I have to tell you something. I heard Luke say as I left. I hoped he was confessing his feelings for her. That way, they could have a nice moment of happiness to hold on to because, oh, I suspected things weren't going to end well for us. By the time I got back, I'd only found a...

packed lunch, a half-empty bottle of water and a flashlight. But Luke was barely awake and refused any of it. Samantha sat next to Luke and held his hand as he fell unconscious. He looked pale, already skinnier than before, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. Something seemed to be feeding off him from the inside. How's his shoulder? I asked. It's completely healed. But... But what? "'Look at his skin.' "'I shone the flashlight at Luke's shoulder. "'There were strange lumps moving beneath his skin, "'whulsating.

"'I covered up his shoulder, "'not wanting to think about what these things were. "'Whatever was happening, "'we were too ill-equipped to help him. "'Our only hope would be to wait for morning "'and hopefully find a doctor. "'We should try to get some sleep. "'It'll be easier to deal with everything during the day,' I said.

We huddled up closer around Luke. Even inside it was barely above zero. Exhausted, we quickly fell asleep. I awoke to Samantha screaming. I shot quickly to my feet and fumbled around for the flashlight. As I shone the light at her, I could see that she was embraced by dozens of thin, black tendrils, all emerging from Luke's left arm and shoulder.

Luke's eyes had punctured. black liquid seeping out from the holes, and his chest had been torn open, revealing his lung, infested with thousands of tiny black worms crawling around inside. He was beyond dead, but to my horror, he was still moving. I pulled out my knife and swung at the tendrils around Samantha. They were elastic and took all the force I had to cut through them one by one until Samantha was finally three. screamed in agony, only it wasn't his voice. As the tendrils retracted back into his arm, new one shot out immediately replacing the broken ones. I grabbed Samantha's arm and told her to run. She took Luke's rifle off the ground as we ran past and shoved him to the ground. It only slowed

him down for a second, before he followed. The tendrils kept him off the ground and pulled his body with them. He ran into a small storage room and shut the door. behind us. Luke smashed into the door at full force, opening it just enough to let the tendrils slither inside. I cut them down as Samantha tried to hold the door shut. You have to shoot it, I yelled at her, but it's Luke, she stuttered back. No, it isn't, not anymore. She looked at me with terror in her eyes, but she knew what she had to do. Okay, I'm going to open the door, I said. She nodded.

At the count of three, I pulled open the door, and Luke stumbled inside. His face had been split in half down the middle, allowing thousands of tiny black maggots to pour out from the head. Shoot! I yelled. Samantha fired off a shot. It hit him square in the neck. Mixed with the damage from the worms, his head tore from his torso and fell to the ground. He stumbled, but remained standing.

I slashed him with my knife and cut him further apart, trying at least to keep him at bay. Sam, you've got to get out of here. She didn't listen, but I couldn't see what she was doing. I could hear her rummage through some cans and equipment. I'm not leaving you, she said as she emptied the content of whatever can she'd found over Luke. Some of it splashed over onto my face. I could smell the vapors. It was gasoline.

The creature slipped on a mix of its own worms and the gas that had fallen onto the ground. I took the opportunity to get away. I dug a lighter out of my pocket and carefully lit it, hoping the drops of gasoline on myself wouldn't ignite. I threw the lighter at Luke, and he immediately gulfed him in flames. The worms screeched as they burned to pieces, thousands of tiny burning monstrosities crawling around, lighting up everything around them. The fire spread so quickly, faster than I thought would be possible.

Before we could even get out of the way, we were surrounded on all sides. The only exit had already started to burn, and I knew then we were going to die with no hope of escaping. We embraced each other during our final moments, and just prayed it would be a little moment. and just prayed it would be over quickly that the smoke would suffocate us before the fire could reach us. Coughing from the smoke, I dared to take a peek at the flames.

The whole hangar was starting to collapse and within a minute of starting the flame the roof fell on top of us. Just before passing out I saw the bright green light looming over us and at its centre I could see the image of a different world. One not destroyed,

and inhabited by horrific creatures. Then, everything turned dark. A voice called out to me, bring me back from the depths of unconsciousness. The voice was unfamiliar, speaking in Norwegian. I couldn't understand half of it, but I knew he was asking if I was okay. I opened my eyes when it was hit by the dim light of day. Even during an Arctic night, the mornings are bright enough to tell the difference. "'Where's Samantha?' was all I could say.

"'Oh, you're English. You mean the girl you were with. "'Yeah, she's fine. What happened to you, too?' The man bombarded me with questions. But I remained silent, still too weak to think properly. The man pointed to a stretcher carrying Samantha. They'd put an oxygen mask on her, but she seemed mostly awake, with only minor bruises and some smoke inhalation. The airport had been fully restored, not even a hint of the destruction from the previous night, and no sign of a second moon remained. We had to spend the next week at their local clinic,

trying our best to answer their questions about how we got hurt, and how we managed to get inside the hangar in the middle of the night, and how we both suffered pretty severe damage from smoke inhalation, despite there having been no reported fire on the island. Of course, when we were not. we recounted the events we'd suffered through. They brushed it off to confusion after head trauma, or that we'd gotten our hands on some nasty drugs. Everything seemed fine in the city. Nothing had seemingly changed when life went on. We asked if they'd found Luke's body, if they'd found anyone

we knew at all. But there was no record of a Luke, nor Walter even setting foot on Svalbard in the last month. I called home, and the though my family was happy to hear from me, they couldn't remember I'd ever had a friend named Luke. The only proof I had that I hadn't gone insane was that Samantha's memory of everything matched mine. As night approached, Samantha sat by the window, staring into the darkening sky. Even with eternal darkness, the moon still sets and rises. We both counted the seconds, terrified in anticipation. Only one moon emerged from the horizon, and I let out a sigh of relief as I saw it.

Samantha did not share my enthusiasm. I asked her what was wrong, and she only pointed at it without speaking a word. I looked up into the sky and studied the moon. At first, it seemed perfectly normal. To the untrained eye, everything appeared to be fine. But the more I stared at it, The more I noticed the differences. The landmarks didn't match, and the colour palette was slightly off.

Samantha looked at me with terror in her eyes and confirmed what we both knew to be true. That wasn't our moon. So five tales of terror from deep space for this evening. Now, if you enjoyed tonight's podcast, please do me one little favour, leave a five-star review and say a few nice words about it, wherever it is that you get your podcast from, it'd be very much appreciated. That is it for one week,

but of course I'll be back again next Thursday with episode 23. Until then, very, very sweet dream, and bye-bye.